Huckabee on Government
By Barry Ritholtz - December 10th, 2008, 9:00PM
Mike Huckabee says the reason we have so much government is because people don’t behave well with each other.
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Please use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data, ability to repeat discredited memes, and lack of respect for scientific knowledge. Also, be sure to create straw men and argue against things I have neither said nor even implied. Any irrelevancies you can mention will also be appreciated. Lastly, kindly forgo all civility in your discourse . . . you are, after all, anonymous.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Here is my post from October on this guy:
October 11th, 2008 at 10:08 am
On Fox just now, with Cavuto egging him on, Mike Huckabee has all but blamed the market dropping on suspicious trading patterns by “financial terrorists.”
This gentlemen is certifiably nuts. He is a very, very scary man. I pray nobody takes him seriously. Barry, pelase do a piece on this.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Steve Barry:
You are right. The problem is Huckabee sounds so nice and charming. I always thought he was a more dangerous candidate than McCain. Meaning, of the Republicans, he had the best shot at winning the general election.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
@Steve Barry: And to think, the choice for the GOP in 2012 could be either this nutcase or Palin. If they’re smart, they’d nominate the Land’s End model, Romney, but we shall see……..
December 10th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
Watched him again on The Daily Show yesterday. He IS very smooth and he will likely run for president again in 2012. He is too much the religious zealot for me too ever consider voting for him.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
I will say, he is pretty funny and disarming, and for that reason, many sheeple (I mean, people) will be taken in by him in 2012. It’s a long way off, but he could well be the nominee.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
If elected, he’ll smoke out the “financial terrorists.”
December 10th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
SB, has this pegged, as well.
Huckabee, at best, should have stuck to story-telling on Sundays, just like Gingrich, at best, should have stuck to story-telling to undergrads( in History class)
We need to start F***ing Wondering, How these Clowns, that 50 years ago, wouldn’t have been elected to town council, are, now, ‘major players’ on the National Stage–yes, Stage.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gzqm-9mBGa4
December 10th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Huckabee and Palin will be fighting over the same paleolithics for the next four years that represent the past of the GOP.
People should just just be nice. What a novel concept. Does he provide an example of where this works?
December 10th, 2008 at 9:44 pm
Mark E Hoffer Says:
We need to start F***ing Wondering, How these Clowns, that 50 years ago, wouldn’t have been elected to town council, are, now, ‘major players’ on the National Stage–yes, Stage.
What’s the saying that “politics is Hollywood for ugly people”? I think that’s how/why these Clowns got to the National “Stage”, which is the perfect term, by the way, and is why Palin was/is such a phenomenon with some in the High School Republican Club. She has the looks (although not my “type”) to go with it.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
I love people that know what better for me than I do. Probably why I am a “former” republican.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I would never vote for the guy because I don’t like to mix religion and government. But I think he is mostly right in this case; naïve but theoretically right.
Religion exists, ostensibly, to make people “better”, but it inevitably fails because “evil” exists in human nature and cannot be exorcised. Therefore, a big part of any government’s job (thus structure) is to prevent, catch, and deal with criminals, greedy Wall Streeters, predatory corporations, al Qaeda terrorists, rogue dictators, etc. If human nature was uniformly “good” we wouldn’t need as much Justice Department, military, SEC, FTC, FDA, etc.
One big problem with these fundamentalists is that they know “evil” can’t be eliminated, so they, acting on god’s behalf, take on the job of deciding what is good and what is bad, and then impose their views on the rest of us!
I agree he would probably be a dangerous president because of his religious beliefs. But more dangerous that W? That’s a toss up.
December 10th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
He and other right-wing nut jobs are what have destroyed the Republican Party. What used to be a party of conservative government, fiscal responsibility and what-your-neighbor-does-in-their-bedroom-is-no-ones-business, is now the party of self-appointed Godly warriors.
Until these right-wing religious zealots can be purged from the Party, the Republicans will never be in control of the Presidency or Congress again.
December 10th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
I don’t like this guy, I could go on and on about the views but something about him I just don’t like.
sb,
smoke em out, I just picture will ferrell doing the impression and saying that over and over again on snl
December 10th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
When I hear such phrases as “right-wing religious zealots” and “self-appointed Godly warriors,” it totally cheapens the conversation and reveals the same simple minded bigotry that it pretends to deplore. I have not really followed Huckabees career other than to know he was an adequate governor who showed no signs of prejudice towards those who do not follow his faith. My guess is that your knee-jerk reaction has more to do with religious intolerance than any well developed set of facts. If you have them though, let hear them chapter and verse, pun intended. I look forward to reading the sarcastic and vitriolic comments that this post will surely generate.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
“My guess is that your knee-jerk reaction has more to do with religious intolerance than any well developed set of facts.”
he, Huckabee’s, Tax-Hike Mike’s, record has been thoroughly hashed. see:
http://www.icerocket.com/search?tab=web&lng=&q=Huckabee%27s+record+as+governor
though, Melvis, much of your point: “When I hear such phrases as “right-wing religious zealots” and “self-appointed Godly warriors,” it totally cheapens the conversation and reveals the same simple minded bigotry that it pretends to deplore.” is totally accurate..
December 10th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
Mark E Hoffer Says:
“We need to start F***ing Wondering, How these Clowns, that 50 years ago, wouldn’t have been elected to town council, are, now, ‘major players’ on the National Stage–yes, Stage.”
– I am afraid to say that 50 years ago we had a completely different set of Clowns.
austincompany Says:
“He and other right-wing nut jobs are what have destroyed the Republican Party.”
– This group have been instrumental in getting the GOP elected since Reagan. The difference is now they have become THE power base instead of just one of them.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
If I wanted to know what Huckabee thinks I’d go to church. Which I don’t.
December 10th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
2012 republican presidential candidate: David Petraeus
December 10th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Micah,
while I don’t, totally, disagree, I think you may be missing my point. Probably, best exemplified by “Sen.” Patty Murray–WA–that a person who wouldn’t have been elected PTS President 30 years ago, let alone to higher office..
12/7/2008
Murray Looks Forward to New, Honest Leadership for America’s Veterans
12/6/2008
Murray Congratulates Evergreen High School Band on Being Selected to Perform at the 56th Presidential Inaugural Parade
12/4/2008
Murray Calls For Immediate Confirmation of Watchdog for Financial Rescue Plan
12/4/2008
Murray Calls for Increased TBI Screening and Research after Study Reveals Long Term Toll on Service Members
12/3/2008
As Washington State Foreclosure Rates Rise, Murray Helps Secure Additional Funding for Foreclosure Counseling “Lifeline”
11/25/2008
Murray, Hastings Call on Washington State and Federal Agencies to Come Back to the Table on Hanford Cleanup
11/24/2008
Murray Statement on President-Elect Obama’s Economic Team
11/20/2008
Murray Works to Extend Unemployment Assistance, Provide Help to Struggling Families
11/20/2008
Senator Murray Helps Deliver Major Victory for Walla Walla Veterans
11/20/2008
Senators Clinton And Murray Introduce Legislation To Stop New HHS Rule That Would Undermine Women’s Health Care
11/19/2008
Senator Murray Helps Launch Investigation into Compensation Program for Ill Hanford Workers
11/19/2008
AUDIO: Murray Discusses Economic Stimulus and Consumer Confidence with Top Economists
11/19/2008
Murray Urges Senate to Pass Economic Stimulus and Invest in Transportation Infrastructure, Create Jobs, and Help Struggling Families
11/18/2008
Senator Murray Re-Elected to Democratic Leadership Team
11/17/2008
Murray’s Efforts to Increase VA Mileage Reimbursement Rates Begins to Payoff for Veterans Today
http://murray.senate.gov/
LSS: these people are not Substantive
December 10th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
No, Mr. Hoffer, I do get the point. Maybe I should have said something about how the current crop are more Clownish then say 50 years ago. We can perhaps blame the constant barrage of TV media for the lack of substance. I am just not sure if the American public is ready to be bored by the details.
Maybe it would actually be better if we did vote for a real clown. I hear they drive small, fuel efficient cars to work all the time :).
December 11th, 2008 at 12:03 am
I firmly believe that we get the government that we deserve. We also get the government we ask for. Advanced polling techniques discern the popular mood which is then packaged and marketed back to the voter for consumption. Rather than a republic we are rapidly becoming a true democracy. A certain Professor Alexander Fraser Tytler, nearly two centuries ago, had this to say about Democracy: ” A Democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of Government. It can only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largess out of public treasury. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that Democracy always collapses over a loose fiscal policy, always to be followed by a Dictatorship.”
December 11th, 2008 at 12:26 am
Institutions are social structures to govern a group(s) of people. People behaving badly doesn’t justify the need for more governing. If any serious politicians truly want to get to the root of issues, I suggest taking a few classes in Cultural Anthropology.
December 11th, 2008 at 12:28 am
“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money”–Alexis de Tocqueville
http://thinkexist.com/quotes/alexis_de_tocqueville/
Melvis,
sounds like Prof. Tytler was furthering de Tocqueville’s insight..(certainly, nothing wrong w/ that..)
Micah,
I hear ya, esp. pertaining to vehicular proclivities, that, alone, would save the Public Treasury mucho Amero..
December 11th, 2008 at 12:43 am
In addition to the small efficient cars they also promote the “Big Tent” concept.
December 11th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Melvis Said “…My guess is that your knee-jerk reaction has more to do with religious intolerance than any well developed set of facts….
You are correct Melvis. Due to my inability to locate any supporting factual evidence, I am not tolerant of religion. Particularly so when it comes to applying one’s religiously indoctrinated belief system onto others, as Huckabee wants to do, at least when it comes to the abortion choice or marriage. Everyone is free to believe whatever they want, but they should keep their beliefs to themselves instead of trying to foster them onto others.
December 11th, 2008 at 1:47 am
You certainly are not keeping your beliefs to yourself nor should you. Unless you believe in total anarchy even you would draw lines that should not be crossed. Many thoughtful people sincerely disagree about abortion and gay marriage and it would not be productive for society to shut off this debate or for these decisions to be made by fiat by a judge on a bench. Marx saw religion as a threat to the state and leaders like Stalin forced people of faith underground or murdered them. I know that is not what you are proposing but please know that you too are in an evangelistic mode and trying to convince society of the rightness of your position. If you want respect you must show it.
December 11th, 2008 at 4:50 am
@Melvis – I’ll jump on this soapbox one last time here.
I do respect everyone’s choice to believe anything they want to believe, regardless of whether I believe it makes sense or not. As I said, one can believe anything they want – as long as they do not attempt to foster their personal beliefs on others, no matter how fervently they believe they may be in the right. I am not guilty of trying to convince anyone of anything, other than to leave others alone. And do not mix up man-made law with religious law or doctrine. I do believe there is a need for laws in society, however, I do not believe that those laws should come from the religious authorities.
Regarding abortion and who can get married, there is no profit in such discussions so long as one-half of the people in such a discussion base their arguments on something written in a 2000 year old book with no clear providence, the contents of which has been indoctrinated into them via their parents and the religious ecclesiarchy since birth. Doubly so when believers choose to pick and follow what parts they want whenever it is convenient for them to do so.
I’m sure we could both go deep into these subjects but really, this is not the proper forum for this type of discussion. So let’s let it go. OK?
December 11th, 2008 at 8:12 am
On the subject of that quote about Democracy being doomed to become a dictatorship, inquiring minds would be well served checking http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Tytler
December 11th, 2008 at 9:52 am
The word “foster” is used incorrectly. I think you mean to say “foist.” Ok I will follow your example by jumping on a soapbox one last time and then dropping it. Governments have done many bad things under the banner of religion as have the atheistic communists movements and dictators. My point is that you are as fundamental in your atheism and as the Christian fundamentalist you decry. You want your point of view to prevail and if in power would use your own authority and philosophies to dictate law. It is silly not to see your own bigotry and ignorant not to acknowledge the important role that Judeao-Christian principles have had in the success of our western society and our legal system. You are being extremely judgmental and intolerant yourself. It is time for a little humility. I assume that Huckabee has supported and enforced laws that he himself does not agree with because it is the law of land as voted by the people’s representatives. So continue to get out there in there in the market place of ideas and make your case. If your view prevails, so be it. In fact if the majority wants to define marriage to include any combination of humans and/or animals I will support it but only after a proper debate and vote, not judicial fiat. So long, bye.
December 11th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Melvis,
two things: 1.) that’s what’s up, and 2.) remember:
Amendment 1 – Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am1
and, for my own account: Atheists/Secular Humanists want the State to be their G-dhead, it’s the last thing that woud ever let Freedom Ring.